Analysts spoke about the growing demand in the real estate rental market

The Russian rental market is experiencing an increase in activity: the demand for rental housing continues to rise, as well as the amounts that rentiers are requesting from tenants. But many Russians still prefer not to buy housing and wait for a change in the economic situation in rented apartments, analysts at Razvitie Group told Izvestia on April 20.

Since January 2025, the market has been undergoing a correction, including due to an unprecedented increase in rental rates in the second half of 2024. The correction is also facilitated by an increase in supply: many property owners in the current conditions could not find buyers and decided to rent out housing. As a result, the cost of long-term rentals in cities with millions of residents decreased by an average of 7.5% in the first quarter. Experts note that the number of apartments for long—term rent increased by 4.2% compared to February 2025, and by 28% compared to the end of 2024.

Buying an apartment and then renting it out in the current situation can be a profitable investment. Russian developers have already adapted to the fact that mortgage loans are not available to most citizens, and have begun using other tools to purchase housing, such as installments on attractive terms that would not be available on the affordable mortgage market. This tool is already actively used by customers.

"An apartment is something tangible, "at hand," and it will not disappear with a jump in course or a change in policy," said Petr Barsukov, a business consultant and partner at the Developika Construction Expertise Center.

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It is now possible to buy housing at an affordable price in almost any major Russian city, no matter how overheated the local rental market may be. For example, Voronezh, which has become one of the leaders in anti—rating the gap between daily and monthly rents - rent for a day here is four times higher than long-term rent in monthly terms. For comparison, in Moscow, daily rent is only 2.2 times more expensive than long-term rent, and in St. Petersburg it is 3 times more expensive.

The cost of renting all types of apartments in Voronezh in 2024 increased by about 20%, 22 thousand rubles per month are asked for a one-room apartment, and the daily rate is about 2.9 thousand. At the same time, Voronezh developers offer apartments in new buildings starting from 2.5 million rubles and provide installments. This example is not unique — in the current conditions, developers are often forced to meet buyers halfway.

"A reduction in rental rates in Russia today is possible only as a result of the availability of affordable mortgage programs. But in this case, the market of new buildings expects a sharp jump in demand and a serious increase in prices. Buying a home today can be a good solution, as developers are ready to offer flexible terms, and rising rents will help offset costs," says Victoria Anokhina, commercial director of federal developer Razvitie Group.

Even if the buyer is not interested in the rental business, renting an apartment for a year in such conditions will help to pay off the rest of the cost of housing much faster.

Earlier, on January 9, Izvestia got acquainted with a study by the Aeroplane company, which reported on the mandatory amenities of Russians when buying an apartment. According to experts, in the new year Muscovites want to buy apartments with dressing rooms (23%), built-in closets (15%), additional outlets on the balcony (13%), a second bathroom (12%), a master bedroom (9%) and a niche for a washing machine (8%).